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Tag: Permissions

The latest set of Cumulative Updates for Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2013 are now available on the download center. These releases include fixes to customer reported issues, all previously reported security/quality issues and updated functionality.

Minimum supported Forest Functional Level is now 2008R2

In our blog post, Active Directory Forest Functional Levels for Exchange Server 2016, we informed customers that Exchange Server 2016 would enforce a minimum 2008R2 Forest Functional Level requirement for Active Directory. Cumulative Update 7 for Exchange Server 2016 will now enforce this requirement. This change will require all domain controllers in a forest where Exchange is installed to be running Windows Server 2008R2 or higher. Active Directory support for Exchange Server 2013 remains unchanged at this time.

Support for latest .NET Framework

The .NET team is preparing to release a new update to the framework, .NET Framework 4.7.1. The Exchange Team will include support for .NET Framework 4.7.1 in our December Quarterly updates for Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, at which point it will be optional. .NET Framework 4.7.1 will be required on Exchange Server 2013 and 2016 installations starting with our June 2018 quarterly releases. Customers should plan to upgrade to .NET Framework 4.7.1 between the December 2017 and June 2018 quarterly releases.

The Exchange team has decided to skip supporting .NET 4.7.0 with Exchange Server. We have done this not because of problems with the 4.7.0 version of the Framework, rather as an optimization to encourage adoption of the latest version.

Known unresolved issues in these releases

The following known issues exist in these releases and will be resolved in a future update:

Online Archive Folders created in O365 will not appear in the Outlook on the Web UI

Information protected e-Mails may show hyperlinks which are not fully translated to a supported, local language

Release Details

KB articles that describe the fixes in each release are available as follows:

Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 7 does not include new updates to Active Directory Schema. If upgrading from an older Exchange version or installing a new server, Active Directory updates may still be required. These updates will apply automatically during setup if the logged on user has the required permissions. If the Exchange Administrator lacks permissions to update Active Directory Schema, a Schema Admin must execute SETUP /PrepareSchema prior to the first Exchange Server installation or upgrade. The Exchange Administrator should execute SETUP /PrepareAD to ensure RBAC roles are current.

Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 18 does not include updates to Active Directory, but may add additional RBAC definitions to your existing configuration. PrepareAD should be executed prior to upgrading any servers to Cumulative Update 18. PrepareAD will run automatically during the first server upgrade if Exchange Setup detects this is required and the logged on user has sufficient permission.

Additional Information

Microsoft recommends all customers test the deployment of any update in their lab environment to determine the proper installation process for your production environment. For information on extending the schema and configuring Active Directory, please review the appropriate TechNet documentation.

Also, to prevent installation issues you should ensure that the Windows PowerShell Script Execution Policy is set to “Unrestricted” on the server being upgraded or installed. To verify the policy settings, run the Get-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet from PowerShell on the machine being upgraded. If the policies are NOT set to Unrestricted you should use the resolution steps in KB981474 to adjust the settings.

Reminder: Customers in hybrid deployments where Exchange is deployed on-premises and in the cloud, or who are using Exchange Online Archiving (EOA) with their on-premises Exchange deployment are required to deploy the most current (e.g., 2013 CU18, 2016 CU7) or the prior (e.g., 2013 CU17, 2016 CU6) Cumulative Update release.

The [ADD Connect version 1.1.553.0] update addresses a vulnerability that could allow elevation of privilege if Azure AD Connect Password writeback is misconfigured during enablement. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could reset passwords and gain unauthorized access to arbitrary on-premises AD privileged user accounts. The issue is addressed in the latest version (1.1.553.0) of Azure AD Connect by not allowing arbitrary password reset to on-premises AD privileged user accounts.

Microsoft highly recommends all customers update to version 1.1.553.0 or later to mitigate this vulnerability, even if you don’t use the optional password writeback feature. If you are unable to update immediately, the article above describes mitigation steps you can consider.

If the AD DS account is a member of one or more on-premises AD privileged groups, consider removing the AD DS account from the groups.

If an on-premises AD administrator has previously created Control Access Rights on the adminSDHolder object for the AD DS account which permits Reset Password operation, consider removing it.

It may not always be possible to remove existing permissions granted to the AD DS account (for example, the AD DS account relies on the group membership for permissions required for other features such as Password synchronization or Exchange hybrid writeback). Consider creating a DENY ACE on the adminSDHolder object which disallows the AD DS account with Reset Password permission using Windows DSACLS tool.

There is a known issue with the MS16-072/KB3163622 patch. This update will break GPO’s with faulty rights. Examples: Drives appear on domain systems that should be hidden, mapping drives don’t work, and other typical GPO settings aren’t getting applied.

To resolve this issue, use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC.MSC) and follow one of the following steps:

1. Add the Authenticated Users group with Read Permissions on the Group Policy Object (GPO).

2. If you are using security filtering (WMI), add the Domain Computers group with read permission.

This will show you how to configure your environment for BitLocker, the disk volume encryption built into Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Pro, using MDT. BitLocker in Windows 10 has two requirements in regard to an operating system deployment:

A protector, which can either be stored in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, or stored as a password.

To configure your environment for BitLocker, you will need to do the following:

Configure Active Directory for BitLocker.

Download the various BitLocker scripts and tools.

Configure the rules (CustomSettings.ini) for BitLocker.

Configure Active Directory for BitLocker

To enable BitLocker to store the recovery key and TPM information in Active Directory, you need to create a Group Policy for it in Active Directory. For this section, we are running Windows Server 2012 R2, so you do not need to extend the Schema. You do, however, need to set the appropriate permissions in Active Directory.

Note
Depending on the Active Directory Schema version, you might need to update the Schema before you can store BitLocker information in Active Directory.

In Windows Server 2012 R2 (as well as in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012), you have access to the BitLocker Drive Encryption Administration Utilities features, which will help you manage BitLocker. When you install the features, the BitLocker Active Directory Recovery Password Viewer is included, and it extends Active Directory Users and Computers with BitLocker Recovery information.

Figure 2. The BitLocker Recovery information on a computer object in the contoso.com domain.

Set permissions in Active Directory for BitLocker

In addition to the Group Policy created previously, you need to configure permissions in Active Directory to be able to store the TPM recovery information. In these steps, we assume you have downloaded the Add-TPMSelfWriteACE.vbs script from Microsoft to C:\Setup\Scripts on DC01.

On DC01, start an elevated PowerShell prompt (run as Administrator).

Configure the permissions by running the following command:

cscript C:\Setup\Scripts\Add-TPMSelfWriteACE.vbs

Figure 4. Running the Add-TPMSelfWriteACE.vbs script on DC01.

Add BIOS configuration tools from Dell, HP, and Lenovo

If you want to automate enabling the TPM chip as part of the deployment process, you need to download the vendor tools and add them to your task sequences, either directly or in a script wrapper.

Add tools from Dell

The Dell tools are available via the Dell Client Configuration Toolkit (CCTK). The executable file from Dell is named cctk.exe. Here is a sample command to enable TPM and set a BIOS password using the cctk.exe tool:

cctk.exe --tpm=on --valsetuppwd=Password1234

Add tools from HP

The HP tools are part of HP System Software Manager. The executable file from HP is named BiosConfigUtility.exe. This utility uses a configuration file for the BIOS settings. Here is a sample command to enable TPM and set a BIOS password using the BiosConfigUtility.exe tool:

Add tools from Lenovo

The Lenovo tools are a set of VBScripts available as part of the Lenovo BIOS Setup using Windows Management Instrumentation Deployment Guide. Lenovo also provides a separate download of the scripts. Here is a sample command to enable TPM using the Lenovo tools:

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013 Update 2 (6.3.8330) is now available on the Microsoft Download Center. This update requires the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 10, available on the Microsoft Hardware Dev Center. (Note that there are known issues with the v1511 release of the Windows 10 ADK and System Center Configuration Manager; these issues do not directly affect MDT although may still impact ZTI or UDI scenarios.)

MDT 2013 Update 2 is primarily a quality release; there are no new major features. The following is a summary of the significant changes in this update:

Security- and cryptographic-related improvements:

Relaxed permissions on newly created deployment shares (still secure by default, but now also functional by default)

In anticipation of some questions that you may have about this release (or MDT in general):

Q: Should I expect a release of MDT with every new Windows 10 and/or Configuration Manager build release?

No. We shipped multiple MDT releases this year due to the timing of Windows 10 and Configuration Manager releases, but do not intend to keep that same cadence going forward.

Q: What branches of Windows 10 does MDT support?

MDT supports both the current branch of Windows 10 as well as the long-term servicing branch.

Q: What branches of System Center Configuration Manager does MDT support?

For ZTI and UDI scenarios MDT 2013 Update 2 supports the current branch of System Center Configuration Manager (currently version 1511) for an integrated solution for deploying Windows 10 current branch as well as prior Windows versions.

Q: When is the next planned release of MDT?

We do not currently have a timeframe. We will release any tactical changes as needed which may be required to support new builds of Windows 10 or Configuration Manager, but do not currently expect this to be needed.

Q: Is this the last release of MDT?

No, we will continue to iterate and invest in the product.

Q: Why is it still “MDT 2013” when the year is almost 2016?

Two primary reasons. First, we have only made minor changes to MDT which in our opinion does not constitute a major version revision. Second, per the MDT support lifecycle, a new major version will drop support for MDT2012 Update 1 which still supports legacy platforms.

MDT Team have released a newer build (8298) to address many of these issues. The Download Center is updated with the new build and is still considered MDT 2013 Update 1. Build 8290 is no longer available, no longer supported, and superseded by build 8298.

NOTE: it can take time for the files to fully propagate through the live downloads cluster, and to be refreshed on the Akamai caches. Please ensure the build version under Details is 8298. I have seen the updated page on a non-internal system; it’s there, just be patient. Use the time to review the release notes below!

Applications that use a command file start using System32 as the working directory

Spanned images cannot be applied

Below are the revised release notes and list of known issues. These inclusive lists supersede the previously published lists. New entries are marked with an asterisk (*).

Release Notes

TechNet documentation is not updated

The MDT product documentation published on TechNet is current as of MDT 2013; it has not yet been updated for MDT 2013 Update 1.

Do not upgrade from Preview to RTM

MDT 2013 Update 1 Preview should be uninstalled before installing the final MDT 2013 Update 1. Do not attempt to upgrade a preview installation or deployment share. Although the product documentation is not updated for MDT 2013 Update 1, the information on upgrading an installation still holds true.

The Windows System Image Manager (WSIM, a component of the Windows ADK used to create and modify unattended installation answer files) does not allow blank values which exist in the default MDT Unattend.xml templates. When using WSIM option, Validate Answer File, it will return validation errors, such as “The ‘HorizontalResolution’ element is invalid – The value ” is invalid according to its datatype ‘HorizontalResolutionType’ – The string ” is not a valid UInt32 value.”

Integrating with System Center Configuration Manager

When integrating MDT with Configuration Manager, follow the version of the Windows ADK. MDT 2013 Update 1 only works with the Windows 10 ADK, so make sure it is used with a version of Configuration Manager that supports and also uses the Windows 10 ADK.

Image files larger than 4 GB are not split by default

Split image (.SWM) support is now off by default. It must be enabled by modifying %DeployRoot%\Control\Settings.xml with the following:

<SkipWimSplit>False</SkipWimSplit>

Using HideShell with Windows 10

The behavior of the HideShell option changed with Windows 10. Michael Niehaus explains this in great detail on his blog.

Changes to the Format and Partition Disk step *

The Format and Partition Disk step in the task sequence is now more closely aligned with the similar step in Configuration Manager; it will explicitly show all of the partitions that are created when the task sequence runs.

Backwards compatibility remains when using a task sequence that was created in a prior version of MDT. You should expect the same behavior as previously.

The DoNotCreateExtraPartition variable is deprecated. It should not be used with new task sequences (as the partitions are explicitly created by the task sequence step).

Changes to permissions of new deployment shares *

New deployment shares will now be created with more restrictive permissions. You should review these permissions and adjust accordingly for your access requirements.

Upgraded deployment shares are not modified, but the former default permissions are overly permissive. You should review the permissions on the share and directory and adjust accordingly for your environment.

MDT Known Issues

Static IP not restored when using media deployment

When doing a media deployment and using a static IP the static IP does not get restored.

This warning may also be seen in the results screen and log files during a deployment.

Workaround: a static IP can be manually set from Windows PE using netsh, but otherwise there are no workarounds at this time.

UDI wizard does not handle the domain join account user name *

When using the OSDJoinAccount variable in CustomSettings.ini for a UDI task sequence, the wizard cannot be completed because the domain join account user name is encoded. The New Computer Details page will display an error, “User name format is invalid. Example is domain\user.”

Workarounds:

Specify the OSDJoinAccount variable in the task sequence before the UDI wizard starts.

Alternatively, require the user to manually specify credentials in the UDI wizard.

Unable to browse for user data path *

In the LTI Deployment Wizard, on the User Data page, when selecting the Browse button, the Browse for Folder window does not display anything for selecting a path.

Workarounds:

Manually enter the path (do not browse).

Set the UserDataLocation variable in CustomSettings.ini.

The ZTIWinRE.wsf script and PrepareWinRE variable do not function properly *

If you specify PrepareWinRE=YES in CustomSettings.ini, Windows RE does not get enabled because the commandline is malformed.

The ZTIWinRE.wsf script is deprecated and should not be used.

Windows 10 language packs may not install *

We are still investigating an issue where Windows 10 language packs may not install during LTI.

Issues after successful Windows 10 in-place upgrade *

Following a successful upgrade to Windows 10:

Monitoring will continue to show the task sequence in progress until a user logs on.

A low rights user may receive an error at logon. This is a non-fatal error; the MDT script requires administrator elevation in order to display the final summary screen. Avoid this by using the variable, SkipFinalSummary.

Windows 10 Known Issues

The following are issues that are known to the MDT product team when doing Windows 10 deployments.

Issues with CopyProfile *

We are aware of reports of issues regarding the CopyProfile property in Unattend.xml. We have not been able to reproduce this issue, and are working with the Windows team to investigate further. If you have a reproducible issue with CopyProfile, please open a case with Microsoft Support to troubleshoot.

USMT LoadState fails on Windows 7 *

Using MDT 2013 Update 1 to deploy Windows 7 to an existing machine (refresh scenario), and using USMT 10 to capture and restore the user data will result in an error (“DismApi.DLL is missing”) while restoring the user state on Windows 7. This is a known issue with loadstate; see https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3084782 for more information.

MDAC component fails being added to Windows PE

This is a known bug with DISM; it is external to MDT. DISM can sometimes fail to add the MDAC component to WinPE boot images. This seems to be a timing issue which most commonly occur when you are using SSD disks.

If you need MDAC for database connectivity, you can try updating your boot images from a system where the %TMP% directory is located on a non-SSD drive. This is not a guaranteed workaround, but has been seen to work

NOTE: we are also aware of reports of issues regarding the WMI component in Windows PE. We have not been able to reproduce this issue, and are working with the Windows team to investigate further. If you have a reproducible issue with Windows PE optional components, please open a case with Microsoft Support to troubleshoot.

Issues with Windows PowerShell in Windows PE

Windows PowerShell cmdlets in Windows PE may not function as expected. We are investigating this issue with the Windows team. If you have a reproducible issue with Windows PE optional components, please open a case with Microsoft Support to troubleshoot.

I does the following:– Ask for the username– Gives full access to user mailbox and disable automapping– Export Name,LegacyExchangeDN from the user to list.txt– Run CalCheck– Remove Full Access Permissions

Move Public Folder script from 2007/2010 to Office 365 Script created by Ward Visserswww.wardvissers.nl

THIS CODE IS MADE AVAILABLE AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISKOF THE USE OR THE RESULTS FROM THE USE OF THIS CODE REMAINS WITH THE USER

Please Select the Choice You Want

Prepare for Migration (Legacy Exchange Server00) Add the Office 365 Domain Name01) Take a snapshot of the original source folder structure02) Take a snapshot of public folder statistics such as item count, size, and owner.03) Take a snapshot of the permissions04) Locate public folders that have a backslash in the name 05) Rename Public Folder06) Checks the public folder migration status.07) Set PublicFolderMigrationComplete to False

Migrating the Public Folders15) Export mail-enabled public folders from Active Directory16) LegacyExchangeDN Administrator17) LegacyExchangeDN Public Folder Server18) External Name Outlook Anywhere19) Set the XML file20) Give the CSV file to start the Migration21) Public Folder Migration Status

Lock down the public folders on the legacy Exchange server for final migration (downtime required) 22) Lock the legacy public folders for finalization

Test and unlock the public folder migration24) Add Public Folder to Test User25) Unlock the public folders for all other users26) Public Folder Migration Complete (Legacy Exchange Server)27) Public Folders Enabled Local

Final Check28) Take a snapshot of the original source folder structure.29) Take a snapshot of the public folder statistics such as item count, size, and owner 30) Take a snapshot of the permissions

Move Public Folder script from 2007/2010 to Exchange 2013 Script created by Ward Vissers www.wardvissers.nl

THIS CODE IS MADE AVAILABLE AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISKOF THE USE OR THE RESULTS FROM THE USE OF THIS CODE REMAINS WITH THE USER

Please Select the Choice You Want

Prepare for Migration (Legacy Exchange Server)01) Take a snapshot of the original source folder structure02) Take a snapshot of public folder statistics such as item count, size, and owner.03) Take a snapshot of the permissions04) Locate public folders that have a backslash in the name05) Rename Public Folder06) Checks the public folder migration status.07) Set PublicFolderMigrationComplete to False

Test and unlock the public folder migration20) Add Public Folder to Test User21) Unlock the public folders for all other users22) Public Folder Migration Complete (Legacy Exchange Server)23) Public Folders Enabled Local

Final Check24) Take a snapshot of the original source folder structure.25) Take a snapshot of the public folder statistics such as item count, size, and owner 26) Take a snapshot of the permissions